Wind turbine



E. H. MANNING WIND TURBINE Filed Feb. 24, 1922 2 sheets-sheet2 9 lo' 2 1J J4,

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narran EBENEZER HL Mannino, orV minnaar, INDIANA.

WIND 'ru-antun;

Application ined February 24, raza4 ,serial Ivo. 538,915.

To f/,ZZ whom t may concern.' f Be it known that l, Eenrnznn H. vMAN- NING, a citizen ofthe United States, ,and

resident of lElkhart, in the county of Ell hartl and State of Indiana, have invented certainv new and useful Improven'ients `in W 1nd Turbines, of vvh1ch the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to Wind turbinesv and"v it consists in the combinations, constructions and` arrangements herein described andv claimed.

An'object of my invention is to provide a Y Wind power device which has facilities for husbanding and utilizing to the fullest pos-l sible extent in the development of powerA ,all the eiective force of air currents of varying.

velocities.

Av further object of mylinvention; isv toprovide a device which is adapted to be actf uated by air currents of any appreciable velocity, irrespective of the direction of move-V ment of the airy currents. I

further object of my invention is to provide a Wind power devicei lia/ving vanes relatively arranged to deflect `the air currents impinging thereagainst in such manner as to retain the air currents within' thev limits of the device until the effective force of such air currents has been spent in effect-- ing the rotation of a rotor comprised in the device. y a l Y A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of `the character described. which includes a rotor-adapted to be acted upon With full efficiency at all times, irrespective of the direction of the Wind, and.

which requires no adjustment or shifting of parts thereof to compensate'for the changes in the direction or velocity of the wind impinging thereagainst.

A still further object of my invention isv to provide a Wind power device of simplifiedA construction which is strong and durable and which WillVbe operative in a uniform` manner under varying service conditions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and theY novel features of the invention VWillfbe particularly claims.

My invention is'illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in-,Which Figure l is' a side elevation of a practical embodiment of the invention.

outlined in the appended l Figure@ vis' enlarged horizontal section through the embodimentl of the in'ver'itionY il-l lustrated in Fig; l, the vieivv being I takenl substantially along the line 2-,2 of ffigure 60 4Figure 3 is a section .along the line of ligureQ, and l) V,

.Figure t is a section along the linea-,44 ofl Figure 3J In c'arryinglout my invention, I make use4 65 ofa supportingstructureivhich may com@ prise inclined p'ostsor standards lconverging together at their upper ends and carry-- inga head 2. The latter has a vertical bore 34l formed therethrough `to extendl axially 7.0 thereof andv through :this'yboregdependsla vertical. shaft fr. Arllhe'shavft 4l` has secured thereon at a. determined distance from the upper end a hub 5 Wh'iehrests upon the head fkandl limits the axial movement of the shaft,

4, whereby a vportion ofthelatter'exten'ds aboveI the plane of the head 2 anda `portion ofequal or slightlyv` greater length depends y below the level of thehea'd. The arrangey equal distancesfin oppositedirections from.

the center ofthe latter, the cross arms ofvk each-pairconverging slightly from their middle portions tovvard their; outer ends. The cross arms 7, 7 are secured tothe under face of the flange 6 at the oppositewsides. thereof andthe cross arms 8, S are securedto the upper facevof the flange `6 atL opposite 0.3. sides thereof, the respective pairs of cross y armscrossingV each vother substantially at right angles.

A hub 9 Which kis similar to the hub 5 is secured on the shaft 4' at the upper end 10o thereof andr is provided intermediately with a flange l0 tov which are securedy crossed pairs of cross arms ll, l1' and l2, l2 respectively. The crossarms ll, 1,1 and 12,12 are identical infessential respects Witlithe cross arms 7 Tand 8, S and are. secured to the flange l0 in such 'mannerthatV the pairsV of cross arms ll, l1 and l2, lf2crosseach other at right angles and the vertical planes thereof intersect the planes of the "pairs of cross arms 7, 7:.and 85,8 at an angle ofnpproximately 45o. Thecross arms l1, ll Vare se-` v concentricannular frame members 16 andv 20 andlocated about the same dista-nce cured interniediately to the under face of the flange 10 and the'cross arms 12, 12 are se` cured intermediately to the upper face of the flange 10.

The cross arms 11,11 and 12, 12 support concentric annulary frame members 13 andY 14. The. annular frame member 14 is considerably larger diametrically than Vthe frame member 13 and is secured to the Vcross arms 11, 11V and 12, 12 at their outer ends. The smallerannular n'iei'nberV 13 is secured tothe cross arms 11, 11 and 12, 12 at pointsV between vtheir intermediate portions and outer n ends,V as shown. Spacing block 15 are interposed between the cross arms and the VVannular frame members t0 effect the positioning ofrboth framemembers in the same plane'.

The cross arms 7', 7 and 8; A6 likewise carry 17 which respectivelyV are precisely identical in essential respects with the annular frame members 13l and14 and are associated with the cross arms 7, 7 and 8, 8 in the same manner as the annular members V13 and 14 are associated with the cross arms at the upper end of the shaft Spacing/blocks "1S are arrangedbetween the cross arms 7 7 and 8, 8 to position the annular frainemembers 16 and 17 in the same plane.

I lplurality of'vertically disposed vanes are varraifiged ,at intervals between the cuter and inner annular frame members, being secured at their linner side edges to the inner ring at points equi-distant apart as illustrated to advantage in Figure 2. Each of the vanes 19 has the horizontal sectional contour of an arc of a( parabola. the pitcher curve'thereof being-shortest near its outer side edge. The height' of the vanes Y19 is such that when the vanes are supported in* the manner described with their upper edges in the plane of the rotor frame members 13 and 14 the lower edges of the vanes vwill terminate in a. planelparallel with the plane of the'respective sets of` rotor frame members below the annular frame members 16 andV 17 as the latter are located below the plane frame members 13 and 1.4. Concentric VVannul ar members 20 and 21 which respectively are precisely identical in essential respects with the inner and outer annular frame members heretofore described are secured toV the'vanes 19 at the lower ends of the latter and 'are thus'supported in concentric rela.- tion and in the saine plane.

Ver tubular housing 22 integral with the head 2 depends from the Vlatter in axial alinement therewith 2 and encompasses the shaft 4` for the lgreater part of its length. A radial and thrust bearing 23 for the shaft 4is supported at the lower end of the hou,

ing 22. The shaft 4 has a reduced end portien 4 extending through the bearing to depend below the latter.V A clutch member 24 Vthereof may be readilyV understood.

cross and annular members of the rotor Y of the' is secured to the reduced end portion 4 and is formed with a socket 25 in its face, which socket is axially alined with the shaft 4. A shaft 26 which iste' be ldriven atf times is arranged with'the upper end portion there-4 of rotatably disposed in the socket 25 and may be supported substantiallyV in vertical alineme'ntrwith the .shaft 4 kin any suitable known manner. clutch member 27 adapted to cooperate with the clutch member 24 is `feathered to the shaft 26 and Yis slidable along the latter into and out of operative engagement with the clutchmember 24.

An expansion spring23 seated in a cage V29 secured to the shaft26 re-acts against the huby of the clutch member 27 and tends to hcld the latter in operative engageinentV with the clutch member .fi governor for moving the clutch member 27 Aout otY engagement with the clutch member'24 when a determined rotational speed of the shaft 26 lhas been attained comprises arms 30,30 pivotally attached to the cage 29 to' enga-ge at' their inner ends with a groeve 31 in thehubV n Y Y oT Vthe clutch member 27 and being' provided preferably Ymade in the form of .n irons in vorder that a'frame structure relatively ,great strength may be provided when frame, elements of given sizes ai'e employed. The'if'anes 19 are set at suchN an angle to .radiftlv lines leading from` the aims of the rotor shaft 4 as to'utilize prac- 'tically :illfthe Aeffective force of the wind. 'thereby rotatingvthe shaft 4 to effecta maxi-V Ymum production of power. The wind blowingv the the .from direct-ion will impinge against Yanes located the proximate part of veter and will be deflected inwardly while acting upon the va nes first encountered to occasion a rotation of the. rotor. the de.- tlect on ofthe air currents toward-the center ofthe rotor being occasioned by the para# balie urratureef the vanes and the angle at winch the vanes are supported in respect to radial lines extending from the axisV ofthe rotor. The currents VYdeflected from the Janes 'Grat encountered will strike succeed- 'ing vanes in turnandV will continue -toini-V part a torque to the rotor unt-il the'vane The ahoutthe axis of the rotor. The ,wind carrying around the inside of the rotor to the first quarter meets the incoming currents causing increased wind pressure, and is forced out at the fourth quarter, thus adding extra power to the rotor. The wind thus expelled from the rotor drives the outside wind currents away from that portion ofthe rotor moving against the wind. A partial vacuum will be created in the rotor and air will he drawn into the rotor at the top and bottom to fill the vacuum resulting from the ,cyclonic action of the windwithin the rotor.

Since the rotor has a bearing` at 'its al proximate center and is free to turn about such center. it will act in a 'gyroscopic fashion and will be maintained in a stabilized condition, irrespective of the direction or velocity of the operating air currents. After the has been initially secured to the rotor frame in the manner described., no further adjustments or shifting of the same are. required to compensate for change in the direction or velocity of the wind. The rotor will be acte-d upon in a uniform manner. by air currents movingin different directions. The driven shaft 26 may be operatively connected with the rotor shaft 4 at will in the manner described, whereby the power developed may be communicated through the shaft 26 to a desired place and for use in a desired manner.

bviously my invention is susceptibler of embodiment informs other than that in which illustrated inthe accompanying draw ings and l therefore consi der as my own all modifications and adaptations of the form of the device disclosed herein which fairly i fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim l. i. wind power device comprising a rotor frame supported for rotation about a vertical axis. and a plurality of vanes carried by said frame in a circular seri .s about the axis of said frame. each of said vanes having the horizontal sectional contour of an are of'a parabola. and being arranged up'on the frame with the inner edge thereof terminating in advance of the radial plane of the outeriedge thereof.

2. A wind power device comprising a rotor frame supported for rotation about a vertical axis, and plurality of vanes carried lijv said frame in a circular series about the a. of said frame. cach of said vanos having the horizontal sectional contour of an arc of a parabola and being arranged upon thc frame with the inner edge thereof terminating in advance of the radial. plane of the enter ledge thereof. and at an appreciable radial distance from the axis of the frame.

2%. .l wind power device comprising a sup porting structure having a head formed with an axial boretherethrough a rotor shaft.

hub. secured on said shaft at a distance from Vthe upper end thereof. said'shaft beingaring arranged with its inner edge positionedV nearer to the said shaft than the outer edge and in a radial plane in advance of the radial plane of the outer edge.

4l. .i wind power device comprising a` supporting structure having a head formed Vwith an axial 'bore therethrough, a rotor shaft, a hub secured on said shaft at a .dis-V tance from theupper end thereof. said shaft being arranged to depend through thebore of said head until said hub rests -upon the 'V head, a. second hub secured upon said shaft at the upper end thereof, cross arms carried by said hub and extending equal distances radially from the hub, vertically aligned annular members carried by the said cross arms, vertically disposed rigid vanes secured to said annular members and depending below the plane of the head of the supporting structure, a driven shaft supported substantially in axial alignment with the first shaft and adjacent thereto, and a clutch mechanism arranged between the proximate ends of the saidshafts.

5. A wind power device comprising a supp'orted rotor shaft, a rotor frame secured tothe shaft, vertically disposed vanes carried by the frame, a radial and thrust bearing for. the rotor shaft. said bearing having a verien tical bore andY said rotory shaft 'having a v reduced lower end 'portion depending through the bore, a second shaft supported `sul,stantially in alignmenty with the rotor tical rotor shaft, a hub secured to the rotorl shaft intermediate its ends, a supporting structure including a headY provided with a bore, said rotor shaft having the portion y thereof below che hub depending hiough Vsaid boie, said Vhub rest-ing upon the heed7V whereby said iooi- Shzsf will be Supported intermediate its ength for free rotoiy andv limited gyratory motion, a second hub securedr to the rotor shaft at i point adjacent o the upper `end 01E the latter, a plurality of EBENEZERH. MANNNef.V 

